Of snakes and lions
by MikeMc
Summary: A short AU story about Daphne G and Harry P. Love is often found in unexpected places all we have to do is look and keep our hearts open. Dedicated to AW


**AN – A short story about Harry and Daphne. Love is often found in unexpected places all we have to do is look and keep our hearts open.**

 **Dedicated to AW**

 **For you**

He stared at his parchment thinking about her; she was on his mind more often these days. She never really left if he was honest with himself, not that he would admit it to anyone.

 _It was so funny how they met after being at the same school for 5 years. She rounded the corner and walked right into him; parchment and books went everywhere. It was one of the rare times Hermione and Ron weren't with him and he was allowed to have some peace._

" _Watch where you're going Potter!" she shouted as they picked up her books "And stop smiling this isn't amusing" she continued. He didn't even realise he was smiling_

" _I'm sorry… Daphne right?" he asked_

" _Yes, but there's no time for chit chat it's almost curfew" she said looking at her watch "And Professor Snape isn't on duty" she said_

" _Let me get you back to the dungeons and I promise you won't caught" he smirked_

" _No no no, I don't want to get attacked by a troll" she smirked back at him_

" _This way" he pulled her down a passage_

" _Where are you taking me this…" she was cut off when they rounded another corner and were faced with the entrance to her common room_

" _The entrance to the Slytherin common room right?" he smiled_

" _Yes, well thank you Potter" she said and stormed into the common room_

Now he sat trying to absorb some charms material but he knew he wasn't fooling Hermione who watched him more closely after that night, not that she could catch him when he had the cloak and map on his side.

"Everything okay Harry?" she asked like she always did

"Uhm yeah Hermione" he said distracted

"Is your scar hurting?" she whispered this question

"No it's okay Hermione" he answered

"How's the transfiguration coming along then?" she asked

"I'm doing charms" he lifted the book for her to see

"Either you're so advanced you can study charms from the transfiguration book or you're lying Harry" she said voice full of judgement

He blushed when he paid attention and noticed that she was right, it was enough motivation for her to launch into her speech about preparing for their futures and getting the best grades possible

In the Slytherin sixth year girls dorms another student couldn't focus on the book in front of her. Instead a certain Gryffindor boy floated in her thoughts, he was always finding her and having these short conversations with her before he disappeared right before her friends arrived on the scene. They would then launch into an interrogation about the smile or frown that was on her face

She remembered the first night they spoke

 _She was rushing back to her dorm because she had spent too much time in the library, more than Granger did that day. She rounded the corner and crashed into him_

" _Watch where you're going Potter!" she shouted. She watched him smile as he picked up most of her books "And stop smiling this isn't amusing" she felt the need to scold him because he seemed to enjoy the frenzied look on her face_

" _I'm sorry… Daphne right?" he asked her. Was he that thick that he could remember someone who shared most of his classes?_

" _Yes, but there's no time for chit chat it's almost curfew" she said looking at her watch for what felt like the hundredth time since she left the library "And Professor Snape isn't on duty" she said knowing that he would have given her a pass for being out after curfew_

" _Let me get you back to the dungeons and I promise you won't caught" he smirked at her like he had some secret which annoyed her into responding with a barb_

" _No no no, I don't want to get attacked by a troll" she smirked back at him but he seemed unaffected_

" _This way" he pulled her down a passage, she thought she heard a meow as they disappeared down another passage she'd never been down before_

" _Where are you taking me this…" she was cut off when they rounded another corner and were faced with the entrance to her common room_

" _The entrance to the Slytherin common room right?" he smiled like he expected her to question him_

" _Yes, well thank you Potter" she said and stormed into the common room where she found Tracey and Pansy sitting and working. Both her friends looked up at her and followed her into their dorm_

" _Hey, why the face?" Pansy asked sitting down_

" _Nothing, just tired that's all" she lied_

" _Come on, is that what's cracking your icy façade?" Tracey asked_

" _Yes, I'm going to shower" she said sounding more irritated than she would've liked_

 _Once the door was closed behind her and the shower was running over she thought about how the short interaction with him had elicited emotion from her_

That was how her year had gone; everyday he would make her façade disappear as soon as he showed up and she'd have to work at getting it back up before her friends showed up.

When he told her about Sirius Black she failed at getting it back up at all that day. How wrong she had been about him and the news about him, that day resulted in their chats becoming longer and more private. She would find an empty classroom and ten minutes later he would walk in and they'd talk or do some school work.

She checked her watch and there was still 2 hours before curfew, she packed up her stuff and left the dorms and found a classroom and waited

Harry was still listening Hermione go on about taking his schoolwork seriously. He snuck a look at the map and saw Daphne wasn't in her dorms anymore; he searched the map quickly and found her in an empty classroom.

"I definitely will Hermione" he said looking sorry enough to stop her tirade. She looked satisfied and turned back to her books; in one quick motion he packed up his things and rushed out the common room. He burst into a run and navigated the hallways until he burst through the door quickly firing privacy spells at the door and plopped down next to his favourite study partner

She was her usual quiet self; she was always this way until he started bringing down her façade enough for her to participate freely. They worked in silence for an hour before she closed her books

"I wanted to talk to you Potter" she said façade fully in place

"What about Daph?" he smiled

"Stop that" she scolded

"Stop what?" he laughed

"All that cheeriness" she pointed at all of him

"What did you want to ask?" he asked making no attempt to change his demeanour

"You, why do you keep finding me and talking to me?" she asked

"I enjoy talking to you and except for the fact that you call me Potter you're quite pleasant. At the beginning I enjoyed seeing how your friends interrogated you but then I started enjoying our visits" he explained

"Should I stop?" he asked raising an eyebrow

"No no, I was just curious" she said façade cracking

"I can leave if you want" he said starting to pack up

"No Harry don't" she said her façade completely gone "I enjoy our time together too" she said sitting closer to him

"I really enjoy it too" he said "And you're a great study partner" he smiled

"So are you going to date the Weaslet?" she asked barely hiding the jealously

"I don't think so, she's been less fangirl-like but she's still Ron's sister" he said laying his head in her lap

"Okay, so which witch will you fawn over now?" she asked chuckling while she remembered his Cho crush

"I don't know, maybe a Slytherin girl. Spice up my life with inter-house dating?" he asked smiling up at her

"Sure, I think Pansy and Malfoy are on a break right now" he joked

"No thank you, I'm not particularly looking for a raven haired girlfriend" he smiled

"How about Tracey then, she's a brunette who has managed to tame her hair more than Granger has?"

"Hey now, that's my best friend you're talking about. But no, I think lighter than brunette" he smiled and sat up. He was so close to her now and smiling

"A redhead then?" she asked blushing

"I was thinking blonde" he smiled

"Really? Well there are only two blondes in Slytherin. Do you want to date my sister?" she asked the humour clear in her voice

"Oh come here" he said pulling her in for a kiss

She returned his kiss, his lips were so soft and he was so gentle with her. They parted and he looked into her blue eyes

"Who said you can kiss me?" she asked trying to sound angry and failing horribly

"Shut it" he said and kissed her again, this time much longer. She parted her lips and they kissed for a while before separating again. She checked her watch and saw that they were out after curfew by a few minutes

"Time to get me back detention free" she said

"Alright, let's get going then" he said leading her through the castle until they reached her doors once more.

"Good night Harry" she said and entered her common room

Harry left Dumbledore's office once they had seen the real memory about Horcruxes; to say Harry was shaken would be an understatement. How could Voldemort do that, why would he do it?

He was getting tired of the visits with Dumbledore but he had made peace with them and had worked at solving the clues the old man had set for him. Like the Slughorn predicament, granted he had some Liquid Luck to help him along.

So he wandered the hallways well after curfew; he was angry. Here he was 16 years old and he hadn't had a single normal year in his life and it all came back to one person; Voldemort. Harry had to be the one to destroy him, how could that be fair?

He kicked a suit of armour in frustration and had to make a break for it because the noise attracted someone. He turned into a classroom and checked the map and saw that it was Snape and Malfoy who were wandering the halls. Harry was more cautious after the incident in the bathroom but he still found himself following Malfoy.

He was sure that Malfoy was going into the room of requirement but he couldn't find him once he disappeared behind the door. That was when he had an idea, Malfoy was hiding something and he had recently hidden something in the room of requirement. Maybe he needed to ask the room for a place to hide something.

He checked the map and saw Dumbledore in his office and Snape was escorting Malfoy back to the Slytherin common room. He ran back to the headmaster's office and up the stairs

"Harry?" Dumbledore asked

"Sir, I have an idea. Can you find a Horcrux if you're close enough?" he asked

"I am able to, why? Do you still think that Tom hid something in Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked

"I'm sure he did and we may be able to stop what Malfoy has been up to as well"

"Shall we try now?" Dumbledore asked already standing

The two of them made their way back to the seventh floor and entered the cluttered room. Dumbledore's eyes widened at the items in this room.

"Harry you may not realise this but there are many valuable and missing items in this room" he looked at everything

"They all just looked like dusty things discarded when they weren't needed anymore sir" he answered honestly

"Except for that vanishing cabinet, it's been cleaned" Harry said

"And why would you think that is Harry?" Dumbledore smiling at the boy waiting for him to make the connection that he had once he saw the cabinet

"Someone has been using it!" Harry exclaimed

"Not just someone" Dumbledore smiled at Harry, his suspicion had been correct.

"Malfoy!" Harry said angrily

"Correct" Albus said and shrunk the cabinet "I will destroy it completely another time. Now let's try and find the Horcrux" he said and waved his wand. They waited for a few minutes before Dumbledore set of in a direction. Harry followed until he heard a gasp from the older man, he carefully picked up the diadem and looked upon it with a very sad expression.

"This is Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem, it's a very valuable item that we're going to destroy" Dumbledore explained and Harry understood his reaction. The pair made their way back to the headmaster's office and destroyed the diadem

They discussed possible Horcruxes and made a list of the destroyed ones and possible ones.

"Now, it is late Harry. Thank you for your quick thinking, now off to your dorms" Dumbledore smiled and handed Harry a piece of parchment "In case you're caught"

Harry checked the map before he went into the hallways and saw the hallways were empty. He checked on Daphne and didn't find her in her dorms which worried him, he checked the map over and over again before he found her in the class they used when he kissed her. He pulled on his cloak and rushed to the classroom

He found her sleeping over her notes, he gently shook her

"Hey sleepyhead wake up" he said softly

"Harry? Where were you? I was waiting for you" she said

"I'm sorry, I had lessons with Dumbledore tonight" he said helping her pack her stuff

"What's the time?" she asked

"It's just after 12" he smiled "Time to get you back to your common room"

"Wait" she said pulling him close

"What's wrong?" he asked pulling her close

"Just hold me for a bit?" she leaned into him

They spent another half an hour in silence just holding one another, Harry dragged her to her common room and gave her a quick kiss goodnight

She spent the next few weeks avoiding her friends because they would interrogate her about her late night. She ignored them when she could avoid them completely; how could she explain that she was falling for the one guy that people from her house should hate?

They wouldn't understand, they wouldn't even give her enough time to explain herself; not that she needed to explain herself. He would use a school owl to let her know when he had lessons with the Headmaster, which Daphne was still amazed by, which meant he couldn't meet up with her.

She looked up from her breakfast to see him looking at her and then smile; her façade faltered which fortunately went unnoticed by her friends. She returned the smile quickly and went back to her breakfast.

Harry had been having lessons with Dumbledore twice a week now, trying to figure out what the other Horcruxes were. Their list of destroyed ones were; diary, ring and the diadem. Dumbledore was convinced that there were only three more; Slytherin's locket, Helga Hufflepuff's cup and Nagini. But Harry could tell the Headmaster was hiding something from him, he didn't mention it but he always asked questions regarding the certainty the headmaster had about the other three but Dumbledore never cracked.

Harry had started hating the lessons because it cut down the time he could spend with Daphne. Dumbledore had sensed the boy wasn't focusing so he sent him away for the day. Harry was pleased to be free earlier than usual and looked for Daphne who was in the library with Astoria and Pansy. Thinking quickly he ran to the library and pulled on his cloak and found the three girls, Daphne sat further from the other two who were discussing charms.

"Don't shout or turn around it's me" he whispered quickly and she nodded curtly

"I have on an invisibility cloak, meet you in a classroom in ten?" he asked and she nodded again

He left the library and pulled of his cloak and strolled around so that she had enough time to get to their favourite classroom. Ginny found him and started talking to him about Quidditch and holding onto his arm; it was then that Daphne passed them

"Out of the way idiots" she shouted and pushed her way passed

"Watch it Greengrass" Ginny shouted but got no response

"Ginny, I need to go to Dumbledore see you later" he said sprinting off down a passage. He pulled out the map and found Daphne heading to her common room; he couldn't let her get there. He ducked though passages and saw her pass the one he was running down

"Daphne" he shouted and skidded around the corner to be faced with a very angry Daphne. He pulled her into the nearest classroom

"Let go of me!" she shouted

"Okay, why are you so angry? I thought it was for show for Ginny" he said perplexed at her behaviour

"How would you feel if I was walking arm in arm with Draco?" she asked and he knew exactly why she was mad

"I'm sorry Daph, she found me while I was heading for our classroom" he said stepping closer to her "You're definitely the only girl I want hanging off my arm but I can't have that, but I'm definitely not taking Ginny instead." He said taking her hands and she let him

"I'm sorry" he said holding her now

"I'm sorry I'm jealous, it's just it kills me that I can't be with you in public" she sighed

"It's okay, we'll survive it. Once we're out of here and Voldemort is defeated we can be together"

"What if I didn't want to wait that long?" she asked

"Then I guess you should see someone else" he said letting her go

"No! I don't mean it that way, I mean what if I wanted to tell everyone the truth" she asked

"Oh, don't worry me like that. We'd have to teach you some extra defence and I'll show you some of the privacy and shield spells I use for the classroom for your bed so no one can attack you in the dorm" he said pacing the room

"Okay" she said watching him with an amused smile

"Whenever we meet we can go over spells" he said already thinking back to the DA training

"Okay Harry, can we practice for a bit now. We have time before curfew?" she asked wand in hand

"Okay, let's practice shield spells" he said

They cleared the room a little and then he fired spells at her as she blocked them. They continued for half an hour with him increasing his firing as time went on

"The best option is to dodge the spell, it saves your magical energy" he advised and they went about practicing dodging. After another half an hour Harry showed her the spells for her bed and suggested she put them on as soon as possible. He needed her protected if they were going to date and let the public know

The next few weeks were full of practice for Daphne, she wanted to go public with Harry as soon as possible. She practiced when he was with Dumbledore, she showed Astoria all the spells he showed her so that her sister could protect herself should it come to it. They had finished up one night when Astoria built up the courage to ask her

"So why are we practicing? Also where did you learn these spells?" she asked pulling on her shoes

"Because I'm seeing someone Tori and people aren't going to be happy when they find out and I need you to be protected" she answered hoping it would be enough

"It's Harry Potter right?" she asked

"Uhhhhh" Daphne knew she had failed hiding it

"Don't worry, no one else has noticed the way you two smile at each other when your friends aren't looking" her sister smiled

"Yes it's Harry" she smiled allowing herself to feel proud of her sister's observation skills and being able to share the news about Harry

"So are you two going public?" she asked

"We are, I'm wrote mom and dad yesterday and as soon as we get their response we'll do it" she explained

"Good luck Daph, he seems nice" her sister hugged her and left the classroom.

The next morning Harry watched as an owl landed in front of Daphne and gave her the letter. He watched as she opened the letter and smiled broadly; she looked up searching for him and when she saw him she nodded, smile still on her face. He indicated that she should join him and she got up full of nerves

"Nev, could you shift up when Daphne gets here?" he asked Neville quietly

"Alright Harry" Neville smiled

She arrived and Neville made space for her between himself and Harry, she sat down and kissed his cheek and held his hand.

"Guys this is Daphne Greengrass, for those who don't know. We've been seeing each other for a few months now" Harry said to his friends "No comments about snakes Ron" he added shutting Ron up quickly

"Hi Daphne, we have Runes together right?" Hermione asked

"Yes and arithmancy" she smiled

"Have you done the Runes project yet?" Hermione asked

"I have, it was tricky in the beginning but I figured it out. Have you?" Daphne knew Hermione was trying for Harry's sake to help her feel welcome. The conversation flowed nicely and Harry smiled his thanks at Hermione and continued eating his breakfast.

Ginny walked into the hall and saw Daphne sitting next to Harry and Neville. She took the seat across from Harry

"Hi there I'm Ginny Weasley, Harry's…" She started

"Friend" Hermione finished for her

"Now now Hermione; Harry and I…" she started again

"Are friends" Neville finished to everyone's surprise and Harry had to stifle a laugh

"Hi Ginny, I'm Daphne Greengrass, Harry's girlfriend" she smiled at the fire in the redhead's eyes at the last word

"Harry can we talk?" Ginny demanded

"Sure, later in the common room" he said smiling and squeezed Daphne's hand

The couple left the table and Harry let Daphne lead him to Transfiguration, they took seats in the front of the class.

McGonagall noticed the pair holding hands but didn't comment on it, Harry deserved to be a normal teenager for a change. They went on with the lesson plan and she noticed how well Mr Potter worked with his new partner in comparison to his previous work with Ms Granger or Mr Weasley. They left the classroom and the teacher checked the work they handed in and it definitely deserved an Outstanding

When they arrived to dinner after a long day Harry sat Daphne down between Hermione and himself at the Gryffindor table. Draco checked for teachers before he approached, he strode towards them confidently but was tripped by Dean and fell face first onto the cold stone floor causing the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables to burst out laughing. Harry, who had seen Draco approaching, nodded at Dean in thanks and the other boy smiled. The rest of supper went by peacefully and Harry dropped Daphne off at her common room 5 minutes before curfew; she was nervous to enter the room without him at her side. She was going to have to face them alone; she squared her shoulders and held onto her wand in her pocket

She made it five steps into the common room before Pansy and Tracey saw her, they got up and headed upstairs after she did. She was unpacking her bag when they entered the room

"So Potter huh?" Tracey asked

"Yeah" Daphne replied unable to hide her smile

"I hope he's worth the trouble we're going to get from the rest of the house" Tracey said sitting down next to her

"We're?" Daphne asked looking up shocked

"Of course, I'm your best friend" she gave Daphne a hug

"And she fancies Longbottom" Pansy laughed

"That too" Tracey blushed

"What about you Pansy?" Daphne asked hoping Pansy was on her side too

"No I don't fancy Longbottom" the raven haired girl smiled

"Arse" Tracey laughed "She's with us Daph, she's done with Malfoy" Tracey smiled knowingly

"What's going on with you two" Daphne asked

"Well, I may or may not have caught Draco with one of the fifth years. Not Astoria" she added

"I'm sorry Pans, he never deserved you" Daphne stood and gave her other friend a hug

"It's okay, I was growing tired of his weak physique. Need me a Keeper now" she smiled "You know, tall and strong" she added with a smile

"You two can never be serious" Daphne sighed

Harry sat in the common room chatting to Dean about football when Ginny arrived looking around for him. She rushed over and grabbed his arm and pulled him into one of the corner couches

"Why are you dating that…" she started

"Watch it Ginny, I won't tolerate you insulting Daphne" Harry said sternly

"But I thought we were going to date?" she whined

"Ginny, you're a great friend. You're Ron's sister and that's why I only see you as a friend" he said and patted her shoulder and went upstairs to his dorm

Hermione sat down next to her friend; she saw the entire exchange. She knew Ginny wouldn't be able to get over this without help

"Are you okay Ginny?" she asked

"Yes, he just needs time to date other girls to see I'm the only girl for him Hermione" she beamed and bounded upstairs. Hermione shook her head and continued her work instead of worrying about Ginny

The following morning the three Slytherin sixth years joined Harry at breakfast; Daphne sat on his right and Pansy on her right. Tracey sat on his left next to Neville and started talking to him after introductions had been made. Pansy sat next to Ron looking disgusted at his eating habits

"Could you slow down Weasley? The food won't disappear" she scolded

"Why don't you go back to your table!" he said with a mouth full of food which caused Hermione to scold him. By the end of breakfast Ron had three different women scolding him; Ginny for not letting Harry date her and then there was Pansy and Hermione shouting him about table manners

The rest of the day seemed to fly by for Harry and Daphne, the sat together in the classes they shared and spent time learning more about their new friends. Harry said good night to Daphne and made his way to Dumbledore's office after dinner.

"Good evening Harry" Albus smiled

"Evening sir" he smiled back

"I thought I should show you the two founders items which we're looking for" he said and held up two pictures. The first was of a woman who reminded him of Susan, she had a beautiful tea cup in her hand with the Hufflepuff emblem on it and the second was a drawing of a necklace with a pendant on it which had a serpent in the shape of an S carved into it. Harry felt like he had seen the necklace before but could place it

"Sir, are you sure there are only six Horcruxes? I mean you said that seven was a powerful number, wouldn't he have made seven of them" Harry asked

"I think the seventh piece would have resided in his body" Dumbledore explained

"Okay, so how do we go about finding the other Horcruxes? I mean the snake will always be by his side so that one will have to be last" Harry asked

"I was thinking about sending copies of the items to Gringotts to inquire if they have seen them in the last thirty years" Dumbledore spoke "It is possible some dark families may own them now, or previously dark families like the Blacks" he explained

"Wait wait wait" he said pacing the room "The locket, I've seen it before" he smiled

"Where Harry?" Dumbledore asked watching the boy thinking about it

"Grimmauld place, Kreacher has it" he said nodding "Kreacher!" he called before Dumbledore could stop him

"Yes blood traitor master" elf appeared wearing the necklace around its neck. It was quite a sight seeing something so beautiful on something so horrid; it made Harry chuckle because the locket was as horrid as the elf had been. Dumbledore stunned the elf and removed the locket from its neck.

"Before we destroy this Harry, I would like to apologise" Dumbledore spoke softly "I have kept this from you for so long and it has been a grave error to do so. With all the other responsibilities that have been put on you at such a young age I didn't want to burden you with this as well, but your youthful thinking and curiosity has helped us make so much progress over the last few months. I hope you can forgive an old man for his mistakes" Dumbledore apologised

"Sir, is that all you're hiding?" Harry asked "There's always an expression you get when we talk about the Horcruxes and the number of them left"

"You're a very sharp young man Harry" he said no giving Harry the information he wanted yet

"I suppose the time has come" Dumbledore sighed sounding very broken hearted "I think a piece of Voldemort may reside in you Harry. It would explain the connection you have with him and your ability to speak to snakes" Dumbledore said

Harry sat back absorbing everything Dumbledore had told him, he watched the emotion in the older man's face; he moved through sadness, anger, disappointment, longing and relief. He looked at the locket and the sword laying on the table; anger coursed through his veins. He picked up the sword and swung it down on the locket cutting it in two. Black smoke spewed from the two pieces

"That leaves us with three" he said and left the room kicking the elf on his way out

Dumbledore was afraid that Harry would be this angry, he only hoped that Harry would find comfort with his friends. He picked up the picture of Helga Hufflepuff; copied it and sent the copy off to the Goblin's for assistance. He woke the stunned elf and gave him the broken necklace and sent him away once more

Harry was fuming, he went up to the seventh floor and paced in front of the door and slipped inside. He sat in the only chair in the room and silently fumed at the news, how the hell could he have a piece of Voldemort in him? How could Dumbledore keep it from him so long?

He stood and blasted the chair with his wand; the room provided another. He cast blasting spell after spell destroying chair after chair. Hours later he collapsed out of exhaustion

He immediately entered into Voldemort's mind; he was alone with Nagini and she was sleeping. Harry had remembered how Voldemort had fooled him with Sirius so he tried something. He let his anger for Voldemort, his Horcruxes and his death eaters flow through him.

Voldemort sat in his throne watching his familiar, she slept so often these days. He had been feeling weak and he could feel that she was weak too. He felt anger fill his thoughts, maybe she wasn't weak because he had been getting weaker.

 _It's her fault_

It _was_ her fault, she was probably dying and his soul piece was dying with her.

 _Kill her_

The thought was so powerful, he took out his wand

 _What use is she?_

He stood over his familiar, how dare she let him down like some pathetic death eater? How could she?

"Crucio" he cast on the snake and she writhed in pain in front of him and he felt joy at her unnatural movement

 _There are others, losing one won't matter_

The thought made him increase the power of the spell. He had other anchors to this world, she was disposable. He felt more powerful now than he had since returning to a body.

"Avada Kadavra" he cast with such power

Nagini was hit by the curse and slid backwards across the floor and then started disintegrating until she was no more. He felt such joy and a sense of triumph at the killing of his familiar

His familiar, he thought. Why would he kill her? He fell down to his knees as he felt all the power seep from him. What was happening?

Harry woke feeling such joy and a sense of triumph at the killing of Nagini, he had done it. He smiled to himself, the bastard deserved it; he deserved the pain he felt all his life. Harry stood and felt weaker than he had ever felt, the room provided him with a cane to walk. He struggled down the stairs to the floor that the infirmary was one, 'two more corners' he thought to himself

"Fancy seeing you out after curfew Potter" Malfoy sneered and not in his usual Malfoy manner. Harry knew that he couldn't beat Malfoy now, best he could do was employ stalling tactics.

"I have a note from…" he began

"I DON'T CARE! AVADA KEDAVRA!" he shouted and all Harry could do was watch the spell hit him in the chest

Harry's body fell to the ground and Malfoy started running from the scene.

Madam Pomfrey who had heard the shout rushed into the hallway hoping a student hadn't been hit with that curse. She saw Harry laying on the ground with a cane lying next to him; she cast diagnostic spells and saw that he wasn't dead but he wasn't exactly alive either. She levitated him to the infirmary and went her floo once he was on a bed

"ALBUS!" she shouted

"Yes Poppy?" he replied sounding exhausted

"It's Mr Potter, I think he has been hit with a Killing curse" she sounded frantic

"By who?" Albus said staring into the fire "Step back let me come through" he asked before she could reply

The headmaster and healer went to the bed of a possibly deceased Harry Potter

Harry woke up in a room with two doors, it was completely white and he was dressed in white. He stood up and tried opening the doors but neither opened up; he paced the room. Was he dead now?

He sat down on the floor and looked around the empty room; the walls started getting a lilac colour and then the door to his left opened and his mother stepped through the door. He ran into her arms and allowed her to comfort him for a bit.

"You've been so brave" she said "We're so proud of you and we cannot wait to be with you again" she smiled sitting on the floor with him

"Where's dad? And Sirius?" he asked looking at the door she came through

"They'll get their turns, but I want to talk to you first" she kissed his forehead

"I love you mom" he said for the first time in his life and then his tears poured again

"I love you too my little boy" she said holding him tight again

"We don't have much time before you need to make your decision Harry" she spoke with affection "Time in this room moves differently than either side of it and very few people get to enter this room. You're in between life and death" she explained "Two weeks have passed already in the real world" she continued

"You have to decide if you want to go back or if you want to move on Harry" she said with a frown

"I don't know what to do" he admitted.

"You have a full life to live Harry, you can go back and date Daphne and play quidditch and finish your education. You just need to defeat Voldemort who is already extremely weak" she offered him one life "But you could also join us, Albus will figure a way to stop Voldemort. You'll get forever with us much sooner." She sighed "And for what it's worth I think that you should go back, learn to live without a sword hanging over your head. Have fun, kiss the Slytherin girl" she smiled causing Harry to blush

"And when you're ready, you come and join us" she kissed his forehead again

"Are you sure that's what you'd rather have me do mom?" he asked

"I think it's the road with the least regrets" she answered him indirectly

"Okay, can I see dad and Sirius?" he asked

"Be quick though, the balance is pushing you this way" she smiled and gave him another tight hug

Harry saw Sirius first and then his father both fighting to get into the room first. He laughed at their antics

"Harry, my boy" James said holding him tight

"Pup" Sirius smiled when he hugged both of them

"You two are so crazy, I've missed you both" he smiled at them

"Has your mom spoken to you?" James asked and Harry nodded

"I'm going back" he stated

"They grow up so quick" Sirius faked tears and was consoled by James

"Go kick the bastards arse!" James hugged his son once more

"And get Malfoy back too" Sirius advised

"And tell Severus we're sorry and we forgive him and he is still my best friend" Lily shouted from outside

"Don't tell him that" Sirius whispered before they both disappeared from the room

Both doors opened, the one on the left showed his parents and Sirius smiling at him and the one on the right was his body lying in the infirmary. He stepped through the door on his right after taking one look back at the other door

Daphne was sitting beside his body watching for movement; she had spent all her free time watching him, when she wasn't being forced to eat by her friends. It was no secret that Draco had done this, he had been strutting around like he owned the castle. Dumbledore had told Daphne he couldn't do anything unless Draco admitted it.

She closed her eyes, she was exhausted. She hadn't slept more than an hour or two in the three weeks he had been in limbo, she let her head rest on his bed and fell asleep. She woke and panicked when she saw the bed was empty. She looked up and saw him standing in the middle of the room stretching and having Madam Pomfrey casting spells on him, Daphne thought she was still dreaming. She got up and watching him follow the woman's instructions to the letter performing every action she asked

"Okay Mr Potter, that's two killing curses. Please do not try for a third. Now I believe someone is waiting for you" she whispered the last bit and Harry turned and saw Daphne watching him

"Hi" he smiled and she ran to him allowing him to wrap his arms around her

"I was so worried about you" she said and kissed him

"I'm sorry I worried you" he said rubbing her back "I'm starving, can we go to dinner?" he smiled

"That's fine but you're not leaving my sight" she held onto his arm tightly

The atmosphere in the great hall was a very defeated one, there was silence from every table except the Slytherin table. Hermione had taken to studying during meals to keep her distracted, she hated seeing Harry in the infirmary but this was something else. He was almost dead and she didn't know if she could stay sane if he died, she would be under threat as a muggle-born and as his best friend.

She heard the gasps from everyone and looked up from her book to see Harry standing in the entrance with Daphne on his arm. But not only that, he looked so healthy; his aura was visible to the naked eye. Hermione stood and hugged Harry when he reached her; he hugged her back tightly

"Sorry I worried you too" he smiled

"Who was it?" Ron asked

"Who was what Ron?" he asked

"Who attacked you?" Neville asked clearing up what Ron meant

"The person who is looking so pale" he smiled "And I will have revenge before the evening passes" he grinned and dished himself a plate of food which would have made Ron jealous. Dumbledore walked up to the table close to the end of Dinner and spoke to Harry causing him to smile even broader

"7:30 tonight Harry?" Dumbledore asked out loud

"Yes Professor and could you ask my mom's best friend to join us?" Harry asked shocking the older man

"Naturally, I will invite him using those exact words" Dumbledore said eyes twinkling

Malfoy left shortly after Dumbledore; he was followed by Harry and Ron.

"Malfoy wait up" Harry called and Draco stood still

"What do you want Potter?" he sneered but now there was so much fear in his voice

"To repay you of course" Harry smiled

"For showing you your place?" he asked

"No, for killing me. Or at least trying to" Harry chuckled "Have you ever heard of someone messing up a Killing curse Ron?" Harry asked

"No Harry, you'd have to be a complete moron wouldn't you?" Ron laughed

"I mean, how could you kill someone and the come back stronger?" Harry asked "Just as bad as his half-blood master" Harry laughed

"Shut your mouth" Malfoy said and started firing curses but every curse was blocked by Harry with ease.

Ron stepped closer to Malfoy and punched him and Harry snapped his wand and stomped on his wand arm.

"Say another word to any of my friends and you will pay for your pathetic attempt at a Killing curse" Harry said and left Malfoy in the hallway before he went to Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore and Snape sat waiting for Harry both looking very nervous and excited at what they may hear from him. Both had seen his condition, he looked dead but his soul lingered attached to the body

"Did he say those words Albus?" Snape asked the old man

"Yes Severus" Dumbledore smiled at the younger man

Harry walked into the room and looked at the potions master sitting in front of the headmaster's desk and looking nervous.

"Professor Snape" he said willingly for the first time in almost five years

"Mr Potter" the potions master said with no venom in his voice

"I spoke to my parents" he said taking a seat "And they forgive you, mom says you're still her best friend" he told the older man and watched him breakdown and cry "she misses you" he smiled

"Thank you Harry, I know we haven't always seen eye to eye and I'm to blame for the unpleasantness" he said looking at the young man. He looked into those eyes, Lily's eyes.

"It's all behind us now, we have a problem that needs resolving and we should do it soon" Harry spoke confidently

"As I told you earlier, we have handled the cup Harry. Severus has reported that Voldemort is getting weaker every day. We know he can't create anymore Horcruxes, so we don't have to rush" Dumbledore explained

"That's where you're wrong sir, what if he finds something else to sustain him. Or to make him stronger again. We need to go on the offensive, we need to know how many death eaters he has and then lure him into a trap or a confrontation" Harry explained

"Give us a week Harry, we'll come up with a plan" he said and watched Harry leave

"I hope you know what you're doing Albus" Severus smiled

"I do, Mr Malfoy done the difficult part. Now we try and win this fight"

Daphne stayed by Harry's side as long as she could before he walked her back to her common room; some days they would stay in his common room for a few hours but never in hers but that never bothered her since most of the Gryffindor's were friendly enough.

The months had passed and he would tell her about the death eaters who had been defeated or captured on some days, other days he would be more like a normal teenager and kiss her until they both couldn't hide the smiles on their faces.

Today they were walking around the lake and enjoying a lazy day, it was late in the afternoon and the sun was about to set. She was enjoying her slow walk with him, she knew it was coming to an end when she saw Professor Snape came running down the hill.

"Harry come quickly" Professor Snape grabbed him by the arm

"Dumbledore's office?" he asked

"Yes let's go!" Severus shouted

"I'll be there before you" Harry nodded

Snape stalked off

"I have to go, after tonight we won't have to deal with Voldemort anymore. I promise" he smiled at her

"Come back to me okay" she instructed

"Not even death could keep me away" he kissed her and ran off

She continued walking around the lake for a bit before the sun had set completely. She went inside and found Tracey and Neville sitting on the stairs and having a chat about Herbology. She said friendly hello and continued past them and into the library

Hermione distracted her with arithmancy homework; she was grateful to have made a friend out of the brunette Gryffindor. Their friendship had grown over the few months they had spent together and even now a week before school would close they sat in the library discussing concepts

They walked down to supper discussing what they were doing over the summer

"We're going to France for a few weeks but I'll mostly be at home. What about you? What does the Greengrass family do for a vacation?"

"We're going to France too, my grandfather has a home there. It's so beautiful, I'll write mom and dad and find out if you can stay with us for a few weeks, Tracey usually comes along and there's more than enough room" Daphne smiled

The rest of the evening passed and Harry had still not returned; neither had Dumbledore or Snape but Daphne didn't love either of them. She ended up in their classroom waiting for him, so she decided to write him a note to try and distract herself

 _Dear Harry_

 _I love you_

 _A bit weird me saying it for the first time in a letter right? But I needed to say it to you, you have changed my life so much since the day that you knocked all my books out of my hand. You're a wonderful human being Mr Potter, you've managed to warm this Ice Queen's heart (Yes I know they call me that)_

 _I'm writing this while you're away fighting Voldemort hopefully for the last time. I hope your nickname stays true because I can't imagine my life without that messy head of hair you have or that grin you always seem to be directing at me_

 _It's taken me three versions and almost an hour to write you this little letter._

 _Thank you for getting rid of my façade_

 _Yours_

 _Daph_

She stood and packed everything into her bag and went to her room since curfew was approaching quickly. She made her way back to her common room now really concerned for Harry, she rounded the last corner and saw Malfoy standing by the door. He was alone but so was she and her wand was somewhere in her bag.

"Finally the traitor shows up" he smirked

He advanced on her and she decided the best option was to run; she turned and bolted down the passage she had just come down. She heard Malfoy chasing her; she wouldn't outrun him but she could delay him long enough to get her wand out of her bag. She took random passages while trying to find her wand. She turned down an unfamiliar hallway and ended up at a dead end. When she turned around she was faced with a grinning Malfoy

"You've just made this worse for yourself" he smirked and cast a body bind on her

She started crying, where was Harry. She was supposed to be with him and not this bastard.

"Oh tears won't save you" he laughed at her "I should thank Potter for cracking you, I will enjoy this so very much" he said and kissed her cheek

"He'll make you pay" was all she said

"No he won't. My master…" he started

"Is dead" Harry finished for him sounding breathless. But before Malfoy could move Harry punched him in the jaw. He fell to the ground and Harry laid into him, damaging his face more and more with every blow he landed.

He stood up and kicked Malfoy once more for good measure. He made his way over to her and ended the body bind and kneeled down beside her,

"Are you okay?" he asked helping her pick up her stuff

"Thank you for saving me, I don't know what he was going to do to me" she said holding her letter to him and crying silent tears "This is for you" she handed him the letter

"Come here" he said and held her close.

That was how Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey found them; she had fallen asleep in his arms and he watched over her

Harry sat in his office listening to the noise from upstairs; he couldn't believe ten years had passed. He had married Daphne as soon as they had both became of age; he couldn't imagine his life without her. She had kept him grounded after his defeat of Voldemort and her family gave him what he always longed for, a home.

Now he sat here in his own house listening to his wife chase their kids around. He smiled to himself; this was home. He looked at the picture of his parents on his desk and understood what his mom had meant about this being the path with the least regrets.

His door swung open and a raven haired girl came running in and hopped onto his lap

"Mom says you need to stop signing autographs and show James some Quidditch moves" she scolded and gave him the same icy look a disappointed Daphne would. He laughed and kissed her on the forehead

"Come, let's go help your brother then" he took her hand and joined the rest of his happy family

 **AN - There we go, a nice little story. I hope everyone enjoys it**


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